Getting the message - as well as the children - across

Cardiff council’s road safety team said there had been a number of incidents where drivers had been reluctant to stop for lollipop women and men.

They said the problem was particularly bad if they were helping adults cross the road.

Motorists are required by law to stop for adults and children at crossings.

In January 2001 school crossing patrols were given the power to help anyone of any age across the road and not just children.

Under the Traffic Regulation Act 1984, if a driver does not stop when signalled to by a school crossing patrol, they could have three penalty points added to their licence as well as the fine and the potential to be disqualified.

It isn’t just an issue in Cardiff. I was good pals with a lollipop man in Swansea, and every day he had a hair-raising story to tell.

What would make people ignore crossing guards? I have never heard of such a thing in the states. What makes people ignore people in the middle of the street with a stop sign in their hand? It makes absolutely no sense. That is unless the Welsh are more impatient than Americans which I never thought any people could be more impatient than us (refering to myself since I’m an American).

We don’t have “lollipop men” as such, but many schools do have “scholar patrols” where a team of children from the school perform a similar function to the lollipop man. On the whole, people stop, but there’s always the odd cretin (usually in a German car, which shall be unnamed but it starts with “B”) who thinks that they are above the law.

The other classic one I’ve noticed over here is the practice of edging forward over the stop line at traffic lights, usually with high revs. Do they think that by doing so, the electronic gubbins in the traffic light mechanisms will be frightened into changing faster? Has anyone tested this theory?

I do however have a solution for failing to obey the lollipop man (unbecoming as it may be to be suggested by a Methodist minister) - it involves a lumberjack motion and a windscreen…